Karnataka to come out with new R&D, digitisation policies

BENGALURU: The State Government will soon launch new Research and Development (R&D) and digitisation policies, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced on Monday.In his address during the launch of the National Educational Policy-2020 (NEP 2020) in the state, he said the government will launch the R&D policy to ensure synergy between R&D centres, educational institutions and the industry to encourage research and development in higher education. “I want synergy between students, institutions, R&D centres and industries. To help and aid the New Education Policy, we will have an R&D policy,” he said.

The CM said the NEP-2020 gives thrust to research and development and Karnataka is the best place to implement the education policy as well as bring in a new R&D policy as 180 internationally acclaimed R&D centres working in different fields are based in the state. The proposed R&D policy will be formulated to ensure synergy between such organisations and educational institutions, he stressed.
The CM also announced plans to launch a digitisation policy for the state.

Digitisation is very important in education, administration and business and the state will bring a new digitisation policy to enhance network connectivity to link every village in the state, the CM said and sought suggestions and cooperation from experts to formulate and implement the new policy at the earliest. To help students with online education, the government will give tablets to first-year degree students this year, he added.

With the launch of the NEP, the state is liberated from the stagnant educational system and it has even inspired him to take up many new initiatives, he said. It gives confidence and creates an opportunity for students to explore their talents in various fields, he said and added that he is confident of successfully implementing the NEP in the state.

On implementation of NEP in Primary and Secondary Education, the CM said it will be launched in Kalaburagi after setting up the Primary and Secondary Education Council on the lines of the Higher Education Task Force. Implementation of the NEP and education will be given more prominence in the next budget, he added. Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh assured that the government will implement the task force recommendation for implementation of the NEP appropriately in Primary and Secondary education.